Mortdecai

Johnny Depp is known for his eccentric interpretations, which can be marvelous or, in this case, an awkward flop. He plays an upper crust rogue and art scammer with a stupid moustache. There’s an unoriginal plot about a stolen painting, but the focus is on his character’s supposedly hilarious hijinks and clueless charms. NOT ONE JOKE lands and the supporting cast of impressive talent has taken his lead and avoided all attempts at being funny. The dry direction doesn’t offer any help. A new low for Depp.

GAY ANGLE: Paul Bettany plays against type as a womanizing thug, but it may be his least sexy role ever.

The Loft

Five married men enjoy sharing a beautiful apartment for their trysts, until a woman turns up handcuffed to the bed anddead. This is a classic whodunit with flashbacks to lay out the clues and every character having a motive. The plot keeps you guessing, but the suspicious glances, sometimes portentous dialogue and the director’s stylistic flourishes get in the way of any tension. On the positive side, the movie’s got an attractive, able cast and a high-end look. If you don’t delve too deeply and appreciate this film as a crime puzzle you might enjoy trying to put the pieces together.

Two Days, One Night

On Friday afternoon, a factory worker (Marion Cotillard) is told that she’ll be laid off on Monday if her colleagues vote for their bonuses instead of her. She has the weekend to visit each of them and state her case. To complicate matters, she’s recovering from a serious depression. Each encounter adds a layer of humanity to her plight, but the drama is diluted by so much footage of her walking from house to house. Although it’s never dull, the pace is deliberate and the emotions are often underplayed. Cotillard (nominated for an Oscar), is convincing, but the brilliance of her performance eludes me. This will be best appreciated by those who enjoy a quiet character study in the foreign film style. French with subtitles. (Criterion Cinema only)

Jerry Williams reviewed movies for WTVR-TV for 14 years and for Style Weekly for 10 years. When he launched his own website in 1998 at TVJerry.com, he took his reviews to the Internet. Through those hundreds of reviews, Jerry kept his sexual orientation muted. So, he's excited to be adding "gay angles" to his postings for GayRVA.com.